July, 2008

• Peguis First Nation has the right idea… Ignore INAC!

  

  July 31, 2008  2,216 views 2 comments Share

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  In recent years, the Peguis First Nation, a community of 7,200 in northern Manitoba, has been faced with a drug abuse epidemic. Hard drugs like crack and crystal meth have proliferated on the reserve; bringing with it prostitution, gangs, weapons, and break-ins so frequent that some people are afraid to leave their homes. Last fall [...]

  Filed Under Canada • drug abuse • INAC • Indigenous Peoples • Peguis • sovereignty

• Brazil army to permanently occupy indigenous territories

  

  July 30, 2008  3,409 views 0 Comments Share

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  Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree last week to permanently station the military on every indigenous reserve along the border. The move is an apparent response to concerns over "possible incursions by guerrilla fighters, drug traffickers and others," notes a recent report by Reuters. However, it more so appears to be [...]

  Filed Under Brazil • Indigenous Peoples • sovereignty • struggles • UNDRIP

• Tribal group refuses to abandon homes for Vedanta

  

  July 29, 2008  2,378 views 2 comments Share

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  The Indian Supreme Court has postponed its judgment on whether or not Vedanta's controversial bauxite mining project in Orissa can go ahead. The court announced its decision last Friday, July 25, following a promise by the company to spend five percent of its profits from the $800 million project on "rehabilitation" for the Dongria Kondh, [...]

  Filed Under business • Dongria Kondh • India • Indigenous Peoples • mining • Orissa

• Penusah Tana: The Forgotten Struggle

  

  July 27, 2008  2,164 views 3 comments Share

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  Penusah Tana: The Forgotten Struggle, is the story of the forest-dwelling Penan tribe of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Historically, the Penan maintained a harmonious relationship with the rainforest, one that could have went on forever. Today, however, the Penan's relationship is nearing its end, along with the rainforest itself. For the past fouty [...]

  Filed Under blockades • business • forestry • Indigenous Peoples • Malaysia • Penan • video

• 46 arrested for raising West Papua Independence flag

  

  July 25, 2008  2,225 views 1 comment Share

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  In the early hours of Saturday, July 19th, Indonesian police arrested 46 people at a flag raising ceremony in Fafak state. According local reports, the Indonesian Police attacked the group, "beating them, kicking them with boots and torturing the demonstrators. The men in the group were then stripped to their underwear before being taken to [...]

  Filed Under Indonesia • Papua • propaganda • protests • sovereignty • struggles • West Papua

• Mexican Farmers say mine will destroy grazing land

  

    2,371 views 3 comments Share

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  Farmers from the Huizopa ejido (cooperative) in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua held a press conference last week, over concerns that a new gold mine will destroy 1,200 hectares (2,962 acres) of their cattle grazing land. Owned by Canada's Minefinders Corporation Ltd, the mine will be using chemicals like cyanide to process the ore. [...]

  Filed Under business • Canada • gold • Mexico • mining • toxins

• Anglogold refutes cyanide leak at Ghana mine

  

  July 23, 2008  1,864 views 1 comment Share

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  Urgent concerns have been raised by communities in the Wassa district of Ghana over a possible cyanide spill at a nearby mine. According to a July 21 report by Public Agenda, the communities, who are supported by "the concerned Farmers Association of Teberebie" and "the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining" (WACAM), say the [...]

  Filed Under Africa • ALERT • business • Ghana • gold • mining • toxins • World Bank